Ash-sifting shovel



AJ H. MILLER ASH SIFTING SHOVEL March '1 1927. I 4 1,619,266

Filed June 9, 1926 Patented Mar. 1, 1927.

if UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

' ADOLPH'I-I. MILLER, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

ASH-SIFTING snovnn.

Application filed June 9,

This invention relates to an ash sifter and particularly to an ash sifter in the form of an ash sifting shovel. It is a common practice to sift the ashes to effect a saving of the unburned coal. It is often desired to sift the ashes as the same are removed from the furnace and it is also often desirable, in order to prevent the accumulation of dust, to sift the ashes while still in the ash pit of the furnace.

It is an object of this invention, therefore, 7

to provide a very simple and efiicient form of ash sifting shovel and one whlch can be readily inserted into the ash pit of the ordinary furnace, and one which will effectively separate the coal and ashes and from which the ashes can be readily discharged, which operation may be performed while the ashes and coal are still hot so that the hot coals may be immediately returned to the fire pot.

i It is a further object of the invention to provide an ash sifting shovel having side walls and a rear wall, a perforated plate extending in an upwardly inclined direction from the front of the shovel to saidrrear foratedplate is removable and which has a handle extending from said rear wall to gether with means such as a spring normally holding the said door in closed posltion and means carried by said handle for easily and quickly swinging said door to open position.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be fullv set forth in the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views and in which: w

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of the device; Fig. 2 is a'planview thereof, and

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2, as indicated by the arrows.

Referring to the drawing, an-ash sifter in the form of an ash sifting shovel is shown,

and while the same may be variously formed 1926. Serial No. 114,646.

in the embodimentof the invention illustrated, said shovel comprises an imperforate plate 5 having side portions 5 bent upwardly at right angles thereto and extending in parallel relation at each side thereof. The side portions 5 form the side walls of the shovel and thesame have pointed forward and rear portions 5" and 5 respectively. The plate 5 also has a narrow rectangular portion 5 bent reversely at an acute angle thereto at its front and has overlapping portions 5 adjacent its rear end and at its top portion above the triangular portion 5 bent inwardly at right angles to form a rear wall 5 It will. he noted that the plate 5 which forms the bottom of the shovel extends rearwardly to a point some distance beyond the rear wall 5 A door 6 is provided having its upper end reversely folded and enclosing a pintle rod 7 having its ends extending through the side wall 5 and pivoted therein, the ends of the said rod being riveted at the outer sides of the side walls 5. A perforated plate 8 is provided which fits between the side walls 5 and has its forward end disposed under the portion 5.

The plate 8 has an upwardly extending portion or flange 8 at its rear end adapted to seat against the rear wall 5 and be connected there to by a plurality of headed and nutted bolts 9. It will be seen that the perforated plate 8 extends substantially parallel to the top edges of the side walls 5 and diverges rearwardly from the bottom plate 5, thus extending rearwardly in an upwardly inclined direction substantially to the bottom of the rear wall as shown in Figs. 1 and 8, A handle socket or ferrule 10 is provided, preferably somewhat tapered toward its inner end, which end is'provided with outwardly extending fianges10 'which are secured to the rear wall 5 by rivets 11. One of said rivets 11 also secures a small angle bracket 12 to the outside of said rear wall and a plunger member 13 has a loop or eyelet 1.8 on its inner end secured to the bracket 12 by a suitable rivet. The plunger rod 13 extends through a coiled compression spring 15 engaging the bracket 12 at one end and having its other end bearing against a pair of nuts 16 secured on a headed screw 17 projecting outwardly through a lug 14 projecting inwardly from a rectangular yoke member 14. Another plunger rod 18 has an eyelet or h-eadthereon embracing the screw 17 between the nuts 16 and extends into the spring 15 alongside of the plunger rod 13. The yoke member lt embraces the socket member 10 and is pivotally connected thereto by the rivet 19, which rivet passes through the member 10 and through the handle 20 which is secured in the member 10. A curved link 21 is cured to the upper inward corner of the side of the yoke 14;, opposite that to which the.

spring 15 is secured. Said link 1 -1: is pivotally secured at its inner end by having a loop or eyelet 21" formed therein extending through an aperture in a small Tshaped bracket 22 secured to the rear side of the door 6 by suitable rivets. The yoke 11 has at its top side an outwardly extending finger piece 14' projecting therefrom.

In operation the device will he manipulated by the handle 20 and will be inserted into the ash pit, the pointed front of the shovel preferably being n'ioved along the floor of the ash pit. The ashes with the coal and cinder; will move into the upper compartment of the shovel between the side walls 5 on the perforated plate 8. The shovel can then be tipped upwardly somewhat at its front end and reciprocated. If desired, this operation can be performed while the shovel is in the ash pit and the dust from the ashes will be confined in the ash pit and furnace. The fine ashes will pass through the openings in the plate 8 into the lower compartn'ient of the shovel between the plate 8 and the bottom plate 5. When the ashes have been sufliciently sifted, the coal and cinders on top of the plate 8 may be discharged where desired by simply inclining the shovel forwardly. The shovel will then be moved to the receptacle or place of deposit for the ashes and the operator will press forwardly on the lower finger piece 14". This will swing the yoke 14 to the position shown in Fig. 3 and the door 6 will be swung open by the link 21. The ashes can now be discharged in the desired place by inclining the front end of the shovel upwardly and allowing the ashes to slide rearwardly from the plate 5. When this is done, the operator can push forwardly on the upper member 14 or pull rearwardly on the lower side of the yoke 14. This will again close the door 6. It will be noted that the spring 15 pushes rearwardly on the lug 14 and tends to hold the yoke 14 in either the position shown in Fl 3 or the position shown in Fig. 1. The rods 13 and 18 merely slide past each other in said spring, it being noted. that the rear end of the spring 15 swings past the center of the handle 20 and SOGliGtlllClllbGl 10 when yoke 14 is moved from one position to the other. The shovel can thus be readily maintained with the door 6 in either closed or open position. The sifting operation for the ashes may, of course, be performed outside of the ash pit if desired. The plate 8 is readily removable by removing the bolts 9 and moving the plate upwardly at its rear end so that its forward end slides from under the portion 5. Plates with diiferentsizes of perforations therein may thus be used, if desired. 7

From the above description it is seen that applicant has provided a very simple and efficient form of shovel. The bottom, side and rear walls, as well as the front portion of the shovel, may conveniently be made from one single plate as shown. The parts of the shovel are quite few and may be quite easily and cheaply made and assembled. The device is quite rugged and the same has been amply demonstrated in actual practice and found to be very successful and efiicient.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may bemade in the form, details, arrangement and proportions of the parts, without departing from the scope of applicants invention, which, generally stated, consists in a device capable of carrying out the objects above set forth, in the novel parts and combinations of parts disclosed and defined in the appended claims.

hat is claimed is 1. An ash sifting shovel having the top compartment with a perforated bottom and open at its top and front end, a lower compartment with a fixed ,imperforate bottom, a. handle extending from the rear of said shovel above said lower compartment, a rearwardly swinging door atthe rear end of said lower compartment and means for opening and closing said door.

2. An ash sifting shovel having in combination, a rear wall, side walls, a removable perforated plate extending from said rear uill downwardly to the front end of said shovel, said shovel being open above said perforated plate, a fixed bottom imperforatc plate extending from the front end of the shovel to a point in the rear of said rear wall, and a door extending from said rear wall to the rear end of said imperforate plate.

3. An ash sifting shovel comprising a rear wall, a handle extending rearwardly from said rear wall, side walls tapering to a pointat their forward ends, a perforated plate extending from said forward end to the bottom of said rear wall. a fixed bottom imperforate plate extending from said forward end and diverging from said perforated plate to a point in the rear of and below said rear wall,and a hinged door between the rear ends of said perforated plate and beneath said handle and said imperforate plate.

4t. An ash sifting shovel having an upper con'ipartment with a rear wall, a handle extending rearwardly from said rear wall, a perforated plate inclining downwardly from said rear wall to the front end of said shovel, a fixed bottom imperforate plate extending from the front of said shovel to a point below and in the rear ofsaid rear wall, a door extending from the bottom of said rear wall to the rear end of said imperforate plate and means carried on said handle and connected to said door, for holdof said sides to form a rear wall and having a narrow front portion bent reversely at a sharp angle to form the front edge of said shovel and a removable perforated plate having its front end disposed under said reversely bent front end and having a flange at its rear end detachably secured to said rear wall.

6. The structure set forth in claim 1, a

handle extending rearwardly from the rear of said shovel, and means on said handle for holding said'door in closed or open positions and for moving said door to open or closed position.

7. An ash sifting shovel comprising a rear wall, side walls extending therefrom and tapering to a point at their forward ends, a perforated plate extending from the bottom of said rear wall to said forward ends, an imperforate plate extending from said forward ends rearwardly and V diverging from said perforated plate between said side walls, a door hinged adjacent the bottom of said rearv wall and adapted to close the space between said rear wall and the end of said imperforate plate, a handle extending rearwardly from said rear wall, aswinging means thereon connected to said door for moving the same to open and closed position and a spring secured to said swinging member and said rear wall adapted to hold said swinging member in position with said door open or closed. In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

ADOLPI-I H. MILLER. 

